Pellets or Fresh Vegetables and Fruits Vets confusing me :(

[azflcowboy]

Hello FIRST I Love the Forum and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays
My Vet recommended 80% Pellets and 15% fresh vegetables and only 5% fresh fruits.
Moses is 4 years old and for all this time we have been giving him 50% fresh vegetables, 25% fresh fruits and 25% pellets. He loves his Tops pellets about 2 hours before going to his night time cage at 8:30pm. He loves his tops again at about 7am when he first awakes, He usually has Tops pellets in his day time gace all day and only occaionally goes up to have a snack of pellets.
Then he goes to his daytime cage for his fresh vegetables at 8am, 12pm fresh fruits, and at 4pm mix for fresh vegetables and fruits)
I read all the books i can get on Eclectus and the parrot forum as well.
I have read all the materials from Harrisons, Tops Pellets as well as Lafeber.
They of course produce Pellets and they all agree on 80% pellets.
Recently I have been following Bird Vet Melbourne and they do not feed Eclectus Parrots pellets at all from what i can see on their web site. Particulary with the manage Mel Vincent.
I would appreciate any of your personal advice or suggestion, the more I hear the more I learn.
I am a DAV from Vietnam and at 74 years old I do pray Moses will be around here alot longer than I
God Bless
Larry Kiceina azflcowboy, yes i had a horse ranch in arizona and florida but now a bird brain my 14 ounce Moses does not hurt when he steps on me like my 1280 Thoroughbred / Quarterhorse police horse)

 

[zERo]

From what I’ve read about Eclectus diet, little to no pellets included in their diets is what’s best.
I would keep feeding him the way you are, or maybe even decrease the amount of pellets you’re feeding.

Did your vet do bloodwork to have a reason for them to recommend you change Moses diet?

 

[GaleriaGila]

Welcome! Thank you for your service AND your kindness to this bird AND for sharing your journey. I don't know much about your Eclectus, but I do know you're in the right place, HERE, to learn and enjoy.

 

[azflcowboy]

From what I’ve read about Eclectus diet, little to no pellets included in their diets is what’s best.
I would keep feeding him the way you are, or maybe even decrease the amount of pellets you’re feeding.

Did your vet do bloodwork to have a reason for them to recommend you change Moses diet?

Hello Yes she did blood work, 6 months ago i watched her take blood and no problems, this time 2 weeks ago she said drop Moses off and she will see if he has Polyuria. She or her staff took the blood and they said they could not get enough blood from his neck so they took it from his wing hmmmmmi do not like that idea as ecky wimgs are much smaller than the larger birds or chickens where they take blood from the wing she said blood work is good and she said there no evidence of polyuria (i disagree) as i see how 4 weeks ago Moses was drinking alot of water and peeing alot, some times he pees and no poop
so i am planning to go to another avian vet (this will be the 4th one i will try thanks for your reply
Larry azflcowboy

 

[azflcowboy]

From what I’ve read about Eclectus diet, little to no pellets included in their diets is what’s best.
I would keep feeding him the way you are, or maybe even decrease the amount of pellets you’re feeding.

Did your vet do bloodwork to have a reason for them to recommend you change Moses diet?

Hello I agree with you

 

[Free as a bird]

I dont know anything about the diet of ekkies but I find that there are differing opinions even among avian vets so it can become confusing and frustrating. One thing I always take into account is what that parrot eats in the wild

 

[SailBoat]

Eclectus, I my opinion, should only be seen by a CAV as they are highly specialized Parrots who's diet evolved based on an environment weak in minerals, protein and other chemicals. As a result, their diet should be heavily based on Veggies (chop) with a limited amount of pellets, if any!

As an individuals that is owned by an Eclectus, you must review any advice based on the background of the individual, whether that be a Vet or someone online. One of the best sources are long time Eclectus owners (20+ years) who have lived the nightmare of poor information of their beloved Parrots.

 

[Illinoisbirds]

Hello Yes she did blood work, 6 months ago i watched her take blood and no problems, this time 2 weeks ago she said drop Moses off and she will see if he has Polyuria. She or her staff took the blood and they said they could not get enough blood from his neck so they took it from his wing hmmmmmi do not like that idea as ecky wimgs are much smaller than the larger birds or chickens where they take blood from the wing she said blood work is good and she said there no evidence of polyuria (i disagree) as i see how 4 weeks ago Moses was drinking alot of water and peeing alot, some times he pees and no poop
so i am planning to go to another avian vet (this will be the 4th one i will try thanks for your reply
Larry azflcowboy

My organization does research on wild birds (sparrows to eagles) and we take blood from the wing (brachial vein). Last year we had an owl that died during a routine exam from having blood taken from the neck (jugular) by an avian certified veterinarian! Far too dangerous to find that jugular under all those feathers! Wing is much much safer and less painful and stressful for the bird.

 

[LoveMyFids]

Hello Yes she did blood work, 6 months ago i watched her take blood and no problems, this time 2 weeks ago she said drop Moses off and she will see if he has Polyuria. She or her staff took the blood and they said they could not get enough blood from his neck so they took it from his wing hmmmmmi do not like that idea as ecky wimgs are much smaller than the larger birds or chickens where they take blood from the wing she said blood work is good and she said there no evidence of polyuria (i disagree) as i see how 4 weeks ago Moses was drinking alot of water and peeing alot, some times he pees and no poop
so i am planning to go to another avian vet (this will be the 4th one i will try thanks for your reply
Larry azflcowboy

I think you should seek another avian vet to get a second checkup. full panel bloodwork & talk about your concerns. From what you are describing, it does sound like Polyuria, as all liquid & no solids is a huge red flag, as is drinking excessive water. I have a male bird who went super hormonal last spring/summer & this caused him to drink excessive water & get polyuria. It can happen with male birds (which I didn't know until the specialist avian vet told me) due to the location of their testicles being so close to the ureters. When they get hormonal, their testicles can swell, which pinches off the ureters a bit & then they start drinking a lot. They will sometimes start feather picking their thighs, sides, or lower back as a result of the discomfort. His blood tests showed his liver enzymes were off & the vet has suspected possible kidney disease (though there hasn't been conclusive proof of that from his blood panels). Treating the liver issue & doing all the things you are supposed to with hormonal birds solved the issue after several weeks. I don't own an Ekkie, however from what I know, they do need a specialized diet that is predominantly veggies & fruits. I would email or call Bird Vet Melbourne to talk to one of their vets & ask them about their opinions on feeding pellets & why they choose not to. I'm sure they will be happy to give you information about diet. REGARDING TOPS PELLETS: If you choose to feed pellets, I would not recommend TOPS, because they are not nutritionally complete at all & provide no vitamin or mineral supplementation. I think that might actually be stated on the bag or their website at all. TOPS is predominantly all alfalfa, which (just like for horses) is NOT good to feed parrots every day in large quantities. I was using TOPS myself for a few yrs. (not exclusively, but mixed w/Roudybush at the time) & one avian vet I went to recently for an emergency visit (couldn't go to my usual vet at the time) told me to stop feeding TOPS because birds cannot process all the phosphorus in the alfalfa. She said she has seen nothing but problems with birds eating lots of TOPS & said it can cause kidney issues. This scared the heck out of me & I am now just using up the rest of the bag with a few of them mixed with other pellets daily. However, my usual avian vet said he hasn't heard about this issue coming up. So, I don't know if it's really that bad, BUT since it is mostly alfalfa, which isn't good for any animals in large amounts, I'm opting to cut it out of my bird's diets just to be safe. I'd rather be safe than sorry, as I've already experienced my share of diet related bird health problems as they've gotten older. The more informed you can get the better, but definitely get the polyuria checked out so you can start doing what needs to be done to treat that. There are various reasons why it can happen-not just hormones & most of those internal issues are not something you will necessarily notice, as birds hide their illnesses very well & by the time you visually see something, it's usually not in a beginning stage. STILL, there is a lot that can be treated & managed & the sooner the better! Thank you for your sevice btw!

 

[azflcowboy]

I think you should seek another avian vet to get a second checkup. full panel bloodwork & talk about your concerns. From what you are describing, it does sound like Polyuria, as all liquid & no solids is a huge red flag, as is drinking excessive water. I have a male bird who went super hormonal last spring/summer & this caused him to drink excessive water & get polyuria. It can happen with male birds (which I didn't know until the specialist avian vet told me) due to the location of their testicles being so close to the ureters. When they get hormonal, their testicles can swell, which pinches off the ureters a bit & then they start drinking a lot. They will sometimes start feather picking their thighs, sides, or lower back as a result of the discomfort. His blood tests showed his liver enzymes were off & the vet has suspected possible kidney disease (though there hasn't been conclusive proof of that from his blood panels). Treating the liver issue & doing all the things you are supposed to with hormonal birds solved the issue after several weeks. I don't own an Ekkie, however from what I know, they do need a specialized diet that is predominantly veggies & fruits. I would email or call Bird Vet Melbourne to talk to one of their vets & ask them about their opinions on feeding pellets & why they choose not to. I'm sure they will be happy to give you information about diet. REGARDING TOPS PELLETS: If you choose to feed pellets, I would not recommend TOPS, because they are not nutritionally complete at all & provide no vitamin or mineral supplementation. I think that might actually be stated on the bag or their website at all. TOPS is predominantly all alfalfa, which (just like for horses) is NOT good to feed parrots every day in large quantities. I was using TOPS myself for a few yrs. (not exclusively, but mixed w/Roudybush at the time) & one avian vet I went to recently for an emergency visit (couldn't go to my usual vet at the time) told me to stop feeding TOPS because birds cannot process all the phosphorus in the alfalfa. She said she has seen nothing but problems with birds eating lots of TOPS & said it can cause kidney issues. This scared the heck out of me & I am now just using up the rest of the bag with a few of them mixed with other pellets daily. However, my usual avian vet said he hasn't heard about this issue coming up. So, I don't know if it's really that bad, BUT since it is mostly alfalfa, which isn't good for any animals in large amounts, I'm opting to cut it out of my bird's diets just to be safe. I'd rather be safe than sorry, as I've already experienced my share of diet related bird health problems as they've gotten older. The more informed you can get the better, but definitely get the polyuria checked out so you can start doing what needs to be done to treat that. There are various reasons why it can happen-not just hormones & most of those internal issues are not something you will necessarily notice, as birds hide their illnesses very well & by the time you visually see something, it's usually not in a beginning stage. STILL, there is a lot that can be treated & managed & the sooner the better! Thank you for your sevice btw!

Hello
Wow you defintely gave me much to think about.
Actually this is the 4th so called avaian vet i have been too with moses being in rural citrus county florida i may have to drive to orlando for an avian vet.
Current vet stresses 80% pellets either Tops or Harrisons.
I was just thinking that lately Moses I believe is very "hormonal" at least 4 or 5 time a day i see he goes to his favorite place which is the front door interior door mat to hmmmmm hump the corners that he curls up in a small ball and rubs on the mat.......
I was even going to post to see if any of the members eclectus masturbate or just hump a toy or a rolled up door mat in Moses case.
The polyuria started about 2-3 weeks ago when his buddy of 4 years (they were very close) passed away from cancer (his buddy was my 13 year old PTSD service dog) and now Moses is my PTSD service companion.
So maybe the poyuria is hormonal, but i believe we are going to go back to the 60% vegetables,20% fruit and 20% pellets either Tops or Harrisons.
thank you so much for you great advice
Stay well and God Bless
Larry azflcowboy

 

[Phinocus]

Hello FIRST I Love the Forum and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays
My Vet recommended 80% Pellets and 15% fresh vegetables and only 5% fresh fruits.
Moses is 4 years old and for all this time we have been giving him 50% fresh vegetables, 25% fresh fruits and 25% pellets. He loves his Tops pellets about 2 hours before going to his night time cage at 8:30pm. He loves his tops again at about 7am when he first awakes, He usually has Tops pellets in his day time gace all day and only occaionally goes up to have a snack of pellets.
Then he goes to his daytime cage for his fresh vegetables at 8am, 12pm fresh fruits, and at 4pm mix for fresh vegetables and fruits)
I read all the books i can get on Eclectus and the parrot forum as well.
I have read all the materials from Harrisons, Tops Pellets as well as Lafeber.
They of course produce Pellets and they all agree on 80% pellets.
Recently I have been following Bird Vet Melbourne and they do not feed Eclectus Parrots pellets at all from what i can see on their web site. Particulary with the manage Mel Vincent.
I would appreciate any of your personal advice or suggestion, the more I hear the more I learn.
I am a DAV from Vietnam and at 74 years old I do pray Moses will be around here alot longer than I
God Bless
Larry Kiceina azflcowboy, yes i had a horse ranch in arizona and florida but now a bird brain my 14 ounce Moses does not hurt when he steps on me like my 1280 Thoroughbred / Quarterhorse police horse)

I'm new here but have had parrots for over 30 years Nanday, Sun Conure, Brown Throated Conure and currently an inherited African Grey and 4 Green Cheeks. The African Grey eats Dr. Harrison High Potency smashed up with warm water to a mashed potato consistency. Eats it like hot cakes with maple syrup. The Green Cheeks eat the pellets from Dr Harrison as is. The Nanday was on Dr Harrison all his life and lived to be 28 years old which is exceptional for a Nanday. That's all I can add but I really believe in Dr Harrison pellet food variety. Good luck
and Happy New Year.

 

[Jimmy mac]

Hi, from Australia and also an eccy owner.
I don't feed pellets at all and use a seed and fruit mix called forage. No idea if you can get it there. Freyja flies free 1/2 the day and has multiple feed zones that contain forage and a few nuts ( pistachios because any other nut is no longer good enough). Apart from that I feed her whole fruits and veggies off a skewer feed. Each day is a passionfruit, chilli, baby pepper, button squash, radish, snap peas. Book choy or silver beet is also good fed through the cage bars to access.
Vets have done health check and said she is in good condition

 

[mish22]

Hello FIRST I Love the Forum and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays
My Vet recommended 80% Pellets and 15% fresh vegetables and only 5% fresh fruits.
Moses is 4 years old and for all this time we have been giving him 50% fresh vegetables, 25% fresh fruits and 25% pellets. He loves his Tops pellets about 2 hours before going to his night time cage at 8:30pm. He loves his tops again at about 7am when he first awakes, He usually has Tops pellets in his day time gace all day and only occaionally goes up to have a snack of pellets.
Then he goes to his daytime cage for his fresh vegetables at 8am, 12pm fresh fruits, and at 4pm mix for fresh vegetables and fruits)
I read all the books i can get on Eclectus and the parrot forum as well.
I have read all the materials from Harrisons, Tops Pellets as well as Lafeber.
They of course produce Pellets and they all agree on 80% pellets.
Recently I have been following Bird Vet Melbourne and they do not feed Eclectus Parrots pellets at all from what i can see on their web site. Particulary with the manage Mel Vincent.
I would appreciate any of your personal advice or suggestion, the more I hear the more I learn.
I am a DAV from Vietnam and at 74 years old I do pray Moses will be around here alot longer than I
God Bless
Larry Kiceina azflcowboy, yes i had a horse ranch in arizona and florida but now a bird brain my 14 ounce Moses does not hurt when he steps on me like my 1280 Thoroughbred / Quarterhorse police horse)

I have my Elmo on 75 or so Harrisons corse lifetime adult he loves them and Harrisons was maid by a Avain vet , so from what I here you do not have to worry if your boy is not a vegie like mine . But I do get mixed vegies frozen to prevent waste and he seems to eat them more . NUTS its important to give them Wallnuts , almonds , and I give him a pistachio or 2 a day . If you have a Cosco you can get it in bulk or Amazon has deals on them . He is my second Ekkie and is so sweet temperment wise . I sware its all because of his diet . No sugar fake colors etc . like Zupreem fruitie pellets bad for them . My first boy Sonny was on all that , my breeder told me to put him on this . His sexual behavior was crazy and got worse and aggressive . This Elmo I adopted and was so lucky my heart broke when Sonny passed . Elmo will not bite or poop on you . He just wants to be with me . He has been on higgins , and Tops but there was always just a bunch of dust with the tops so i stopped it any comments on Tops let me know , I may add some back. and people food also is good about 10% or so is good . good luck..

 

[azflcowboy]

I have my Elmo on 75 or so Harrisons corse lifetime adult he loves them and Harrisons was maid by a Avain vet , so from what I here you do not have to worry if your boy is not a vegie like mine . But I do get mixed vegies frozen to prevent waste and he seems to eat them more . NUTS its important to give them Wallnuts , almonds , and I give him a pistachio or 2 a day . If you have a Cosco you can get it in bulk or Amazon has deals on them . He is my second Ekkie and is so sweet temperment wise . I sware its all because of his diet . No sugar fake colors etc . like Zupreem fruitie pellets bad for them . My first boy Sonny was on all that , my breeder told me to put him on this . His sexual behavior was crazy and got worse and aggressive . This Elmo I adopted and was so lucky my heart broke when Sonny passed . Elmo will not bite or poop on you . He just wants to be with me . He has been on higgins , and Tops but there was always just a bunch of dust with the tops so i stopped it any comments on Tops let me know , I may add some back. and people food also is good about 10% or so is good . good luck..

Hello Thank you for responding to my post.
First ?How much Harrisons do you give every day (i suspect 3X a day) as Moses was still hungry after eating the Harrisons advice of 15 to 30 grams a day (1-2 tablespoons).
I ordered more Tops to leave in his food dish as he eats whatever we put in front of him.
Moses weighs 14 ounces approx 400 grams.
Today I contacted Bird Vet Melbourne as the Austraiians vet seem to have better knowledge of Solomon Island Eclectus and on youtube they suggested no pellets only fresh vegetables and fruits in a chop (which can be frozen)
Most of my information on diet is from Pet Forum where there are many folks with opinions and I do trust the vegetable and fruit advice.
So in closing thank you and i am still looking for a good avian vet in rural Citrus County Florida, I suspect i may have to go to Orlando or Miami for a good avian vet familar with Eckis or maybe even fly to Austrailia
Thank you and God Bless
Larry azflcowboy

 

[azflcowboy]

My organization does research on wild birds (sparrows to eagles) and we take blood from the wing (brachial vein). Last year we had an owl that died during a routine exam from having blood taken from the neck (jugular) by an avian certified veterinarian! Far too dangerous to find that jugular under all those feathers! Wing is much much safer and less painful and stressful for the bird.

Hello Thank you for your reply, i have heard that is good to take blood from the wing on larger birds nut smaller or mid size like an ecky better from the neck.
Thank you for your advice I will dwell on that
Larry azflcowboy

 

[LoveMyFids]

Hello
Wow you defintely gave me much to think about.
Actually this is the 4th so called avaian vet i have been too with moses being in rural citrus county florida i may have to drive to orlando for an avian vet.
Current vet stresses 80% pellets either Tops or Harrisons.
I was just thinking that lately Moses I believe is very "hormonal" at least 4 or 5 time a day i see he goes to his favorite place which is the front door interior door mat to hmmmmm hump the corners that he curls up in a small ball and rubs on the mat.......
I was even going to post to see if any of the members eclectus masturbate or just hump a toy or a rolled up door mat in Moses case.
The polyuria started about 2-3 weeks ago when his buddy of 4 years (they were very close) passed away from cancer (his buddy was my 13 year old PTSD service dog) and now Moses is my PTSD service companion.
So maybe the poyuria is hormonal, but i believe we are going to go back to the 60% vegetables,20% fruit and 20% pellets either Tops or Harrisons.
thank you so much for you great advice
Stay well and God Bless
Larry azflcowboy

Oh, yes. If he's doing that (masturbating on things). he is 100% hormonal. This is the most common thing male birds do & they only do that behavior normally when they are hormonal. So, there's a real good change the polyuria could be from that-swollen testicles. Obviously, you should still get him to an avian vet when you can to check this out, but there are things that you can do NOW to help turn off his hormones. Biggest thing is reduce the amount of daylight he gets a day & increase sleeping hours. Normally, birds need an uninterrupted 12hrs. of sleep for their health, but when they are hormonal you need to up it to 13-14hrs. of sleep. That may sound like a lot, but it really works to start reducing hormone production. I would suggest (if this isn't aleady the case), to have his cage in a separate room that can stay dark w/blackout shades, or a good light blocking cage cover if he's in a room that isn't separated from house activity. If you do this consistently, you should see his hormonal behavior start to lessen in a few days. From my experience, it takes a good 3-4 weeks to get him back to some balance-it's not an overnight fix. What will also help is to reduce sugar & carbs in the diet. An Ekkie eats more fruits than other birds, but you can cut out high sugar fruits like banana & mango, & stay away from high carb stuff like corn & sweet potatoes, pasta & beans. Too much sugar & carbs will just ramp him up more than he needs currently. When he gets more regulated, you can slowly introduce these foods back. No excessive petting & snuggling either-except petting on the head only. Body snuggling & petting on the back/lower body is mating/courtship behavior to a bird. If he tries to masterbate on you, gently put him somewhere off of you, so he can get the message that this is unwanted behavior. Doing these things will help get him in the right direction & will be good for his mental state. When male birds especially get hormonal, it is very mentally frustrating for them.

 

[azflcowboy]

Oh, yes. If he's doing that (masturbating on things). he is 100% hormonal. This is the most common thing male birds do & they only do that behavior normally when they are hormonal. So, there's a real good change the polyuria could be from that-swollen testicles. Obviously, you should still get him to an avian vet when you can to check this out, but there are things that you can do NOW to help turn off his hormones. Biggest thing is reduce the amount of daylight he gets a day & increase sleeping hours. Normally, birds need an uninterrupted 12hrs. of sleep for their health, but when they are hormonal you need to up it to 13-14hrs. of sleep. That may sound like a lot, but it really works to start reducing hormone production. I would suggest (if this isn't aleady the case), to have his cage in a separate room that can stay dark w/blackout shades, or a good light blocking cage cover if he's in a room that isn't separated from house activity. If you do this consistently, you should see his hormonal behavior start to lessen in a few days. From my experience, it takes a good 3-4 weeks to get him back to some balance-it's not an overnight fix. What will also help is to reduce sugar & carbs in the diet. An Ekkie eats more fruits than other birds, but you can cut out high sugar fruits like banana & mango, & stay away from high carb stuff like corn & sweet potatoes, pasta & beans. Too much sugar & carbs will just ramp him up more than he needs currently. When he gets more regulated, you can slowly introduce these foods back. No excessive petting & snuggling either-except petting on the head only. Body snuggling & petting on the back/lower body is mating/courtship behavior to a bird. If he tries to masterbate on you, gently put him somewhere off of you, so he can get the message that this is unwanted behavior. Doing these things will help get him in the right direction & will be good for his mental state. When male birds especially get hormonal, it is very mentally frustrating for them.

Wow My My you know your birds, thank you thank you for helping me out my email is azflcowboy at g mail dot com, please write if possible,
in rural citrus county florida it is hard to find a good avian vet that know solomon island eclectus. the vet i took moses to last week mentioned nothing about a good check up of moses and his polyuria,,,she had a hard time also taking blood and used his wing when she could not get blood from the neck....usually i will not let a vet take blood without me watching, i suspect her tech was training to take blood (but not sure) because she took blood 6 months ago with me there and she did it very well from the neck with a little bit of gas to relax Moses so i agree with you about the hormones and he seems to be drinking and peeing a little lest than before (he is still pleasuring himself i call it about 3 times a day, today that was the first thing he did (never did that before) and did not want to go eat his morning breakfast he also then went to his best friend (Duchies red ball) that was my service dog who passed away and was Moses best friend (Moses still calls often "Where's my duchy) or Duchy do you want to go out"?
In our area it gets dark about 5:30pm and light at 7:30 am so we will try to get hime to his sleeping cage which is in my bedroom ( a very large room) Moses and Duchy had to sleep in the same room so he sleeps with me in my bedroom now
the vet insisted on 80% pellets and recommended Harrisons pellets, we started that the other day and he gained a little weight (weighing in at 400 grams a little more than 14 ounces.)
I am starting to go back to our original diet for the past 4 years we give fresh vegetables (50%) 30 % fresh fruits and 20% pellets (were using Tops) and now I am going to mix Tops with the Harrisons....
How does this sound to you my new friend Love my fids
God Bless Happy New Year azflcowboy

 

[SailBoat]

I have my Elmo on 75 or so Harrisons corse lifetime adult he loves them and Harrisons was maid by a Avain vet , so from what I here you do not have to worry if your boy is not a vegie like mine . But I do get mixed vegies frozen to prevent waste and he seems to eat them more . NUTS its important to give them Wallnuts , almonds , and I give him a pistachio or 2 a day . If you have a Cosco you can get it in bulk or Amazon has deals on them . He is my second Ekkie and is so sweet temperment wise . I sware its all because of his diet . No sugar fake colors etc . like Zupreem fruitie pellets bad for them . My first boy Sonny was on all that , my breeder told me to put him on this . His sexual behavior was crazy and got worse and aggressive . This Elmo I adopted and was so lucky my heart broke when Sonny passed . Elmo will not bite or poop on you . He just wants to be with me . He has been on higgins , and Tops but there was always just a bunch of dust with the tops so i stopped it any comments on Tops let me know , I may add some back. and people food also is good about 10% or so is good . good luck..

Your choice, but you may want to back the pellets down a bit more. Watch for claw tapping /stomping!! Any sign what-so-ever, stop providing pellets.

 

[azflcowboy]

Your choice, but you may want to back the pellets down a bit more. Watch for claw tapping /stomping!! Any sign what-so-ever, stop providing pellets.

Your choice, but you may want to back the pellets down a bit more. Watch for claw tapping /stomping!! Any sign what-so-ever, stop providing pellets.

Hello Hmmm reference your post as i know walnuts are not good for a eclectus parrots because of fat content.
Harrison like all the pellet parrots foods claim they have avian vets working with them concerning their pellets.
I am curious how old was Sunny your ecky passed away and how did he pass away?
My Moses loves vegetables and of course fruits (which we limit ) our vet recommended 80 % pellets , 20% vegetable and fruit
We started using Harrisons and we noticed he got more energy and became very hormonal. Too much energy i would add.
You say Elmo does not poop on you that is nice, but all parrots poop if you hold them long enough.
I taught my Moses to poop on command. All is say is "poopy time" and if he has not gone in awhile he poops on the tile floor or over the toilet bowl, we have area rugs and do not want him to poop on the rug. It only took a few days to teach him to poop on request and i rewarded him with a thin sliver of almond (definitely not walnut) no more than a half of almond a day.
So again everyone has their own opinion on diet but I believe I will be going back to what i gave Moses for the past 4 years which is 60% vegetables, 20% fruits and 20% pellets (tops and now that i ordered Harrisons I will mix the tops with Harrisons and discontinue the Harrisons after it is all gone
Thank you for your post